Chelsea Manning has released the first campaign ad in her bid for a Maryland Senate seat. Manning will run against Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in the November Democratic primary. The whistleblower was sentenced to 35 years for releasing confidential military and State Department documents, but former President Obama commuted her sentence to seven years, leading to her release in 2017. Manning has been a visible activist for LGBTQ rights and other causes since her release. She would become the first openly transgender member of Congress if elected to the Senate.